A trip to the Arctic is a truly inspiring experience. There is a romance with the north for many Canadians. Part of our cultural heritage is strongly tied to the intrepid survival of those living in the north.
The mystic of the Arctic is a combination of so many distinct qualities. When you visit the Arctic, it is a unique and memorable experience that, at times, is hard to describe. The Arctic is relatively untouched.
There is a crispness to the air that exists nowhere else. Even on a warm summer day, the cold edge to the air is just a whisper of wind away. In years without smoke, you can see the horizon miles away. The word vast comes to mind as you look across the expanses of land and water. Being on the edge of the tree line and then flying to the Arctic coast is almost startling. The beauty of perhaps the last wilderness in our world is breathtaking.
The Arctic is one of our favourite places in the world. It is a place every Canadian should experience. Sadly smoke moved in for a few of our days in the north but for the most part, our group enjoyed the sheer beauty of the stark landscape! If we are lucky, we will be back to this amazing place. The land of the midnight sun is everything we hoped it would be.
We flew just 500 feet off of the ground as we headed north. Quickly the last of the black spruce gave way to scrubby bushes, rocks, sand and rivers. The evidence of glaciers was clear. The formations of the land were fascinating.
A view of the vast water of Great Bear Lake and the ongoing land that runs for miles around the lake"s
shores is hard to grasp. It really is a "great" lake.
The view from the window of our float plane stretched into lands untouched in any significant way.
When the wind stands down, the lake calms with a quietness that is so peaceful. Those moments are throughly enjoyed as they are only for small moments in time compared to the usual winds that roam the land.
The endless sun of summer and the settling evening at Plummer's Lodge create special memories.
The reminder of the animals that belong on the land are everywhere. These are antlers that have been shed. We saw many moose and caribou dotting the landscape. The birds, the bugs, the animals are all part of the call of these wild places that you hear.
This view of one of the multitude of islands on Great Bear Lake is lovely. I always wonder, as we boat by, if any human has set foot on that land. I know there are many places no man has been.
Each island seemed unique in its landscape and rock formations. This large rock with huge etched scrapes covered the end of an island we stopped on to walk and have shore lunch. Each time we stepped on an island, there was a unique quality to it and cameras were busy.
The evening pastime ,after a day of fishing, is to take in the view and have a visit. Because even in August, there is very little dark, it is easy to while away a few hours and be surprised when you look at your watch.
The Tree River and surrounding tundra that is meets the Arctic ocean just five kilometres downstream.
The Tree River camp is a wilderness camp for the fishermen visiting this special river to search for Arctic char.
The water of the Tree River is grade 3 and 4 water with rapids and haymakers that would swallow a canoe. The rocks are enormous and travelling up river to fish is difficult. Fighting a fish and running down river with a fish on is wild.
The beautiful Tree River is a river that is dangerous but is also giving. It holds Arctic Char as they struggle upstream to spawn. The banks are covered in blueberries. The water itself is fast, cold and unforgiving.
As we circled to land, the variations in terrain and the Arctic Ocean on the horizon are spellbinding. The plane was silent as we took in the moment.
Another spectacular view from the window of the plane shows how undulating the land is in places. This is not far from the coast and the land varies greatly.
The Arctic coast is miles of rock formation and sand beaches that are untouched. It is beautiful and, if you imagine frigid temperatures and wind, even more awe inspiring.
The sandy beaches on many of the lakes, as we flew, were very interesting. As we left the tree zone, lakes would sometimes have a moose or a caribou standing in them. In some lakes, tundra swans were visible from the air.
This was an almost sunset one evening. It was very late, past midnight, when the photo was taken.
A final evening at Great Bear Lake was very enjoyable as we looked back over a week filled with wonders.
On our final day in the north, we climbed the Pilot's monument in Yellowknife, to view the houseboats and Back Bay.
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